# Brett Dalton
**Brett Dalton** (full name Brett Patrick Dalton, born 1983 in [San Jose, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-jose-california)) is an American actor best known for playing Grant Ward and Hive on ABC's *Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.* (2013–2020) and Detective Mark Trent on NBC's *Found* (2023–2025).[1](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2014154952.html) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3474430/) • [3](https://www.nbc.com/found/credits/character/mark-trent) Trained at UC Berkeley and the [Yale School of Drama](https://www.edgepedia.org/yale-school-of-drama), he has worked across television, film, theater, and voice and motion-capture roles in video games and animation.[3](https://www.nbc.com/found/credits/character/mark-trent)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1983, San Jose, California (NBC gives Santa Clara County)[1](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2014154952.html) • [4](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/everything-to-know-brett-dalton-found-season-2) |
| Training | Bachelor's degree in art (and theater) from UC Berkeley; MFA in acting, Yale School of Drama, 2011[3](https://www.nbc.com/found/credits/character/mark-trent) • [5](https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/Cooking-with-Love/cast/brett-dalton) |
| Breakthrough | Grant Ward on *Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.* (2013– ), later the vessel for Hive; Teen Choice Award for Best Male Breakout Star[4](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/everything-to-know-brett-dalton-found-season-2) • [6](https://www.departmentofmidnight.com/brett-dalton) |
| Games | Mike Munroe in *Until Dawn* (2015); Freyr (voice and motion capture) in *God of War: Ragnarök* (2022); *Destiny 2: The Witch Queen*[4](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/everything-to-know-brett-dalton-found-season-2) • [6](https://www.departmentofmidnight.com/brett-dalton) |
| Found role | Mark Trent on NBC's *Found*, 35 episodes credited in 2023[3](https://www.nbc.com/found/credits/character/mark-trent) • [7](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1181302-brett-dalton?language=en-US) |
| Other TV | 9-episode arc as Lieutenant Jason Pelham on *Chicago Fire*; credits include *Killing Lincoln*, *The Equalizer*, *Elementary*, *Blue Bloods*[4](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/everything-to-know-brett-dalton-found-season-2) • [3](https://www.nbc.com/found/credits/character/mark-trent) • [6](https://www.departmentofmidnight.com/brett-dalton) |
## Early life and education
Dalton was born in 1983. The Library of Congress authority record gives his birthplace as San Jose, California,[1](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2014154952.html) while NBC's editorial feature places the birth in [Santa Clara County](https://www.edgepedia.org/santa-clara-county), California.[4](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/everything-to-know-brett-dalton-found-season-2) He attended Westmont High School in [Campbell, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/campbell-california), graduating in 2001, where he became interested in acting after auditioning for a school production of *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest*; IMDb also records him as California Scholarship Federation President and Associated Student Body President there.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3474430/) • [8](https://tv.apple.com/us/person/brett-dalton/umc.cpc.5r3cko3jtv8dm8ghtqh6iccke) He told the *Seattle Times* that he knew within the first five minutes of that audition that acting was what he was meant to do for the rest of his life.[9](https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/tv/lsquomarvelrsquos-agentsrsquo-actor-says-he-lsquowon-the-lottorsquo-with-his-role/)
His formal training ran through two institutions. He earned a bachelor's degree in art and theater at the [University of California](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-california), Berkeley, then a Master of Fine Arts in acting from the Yale School of Drama in 2011.[3](https://www.nbc.com/found/credits/character/mark-trent) • [5](https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/Cooking-with-Love/cast/brett-dalton) • [6](https://www.departmentofmidnight.com/brett-dalton) The Library of Congress record, drawing on IMDb, dates the Yale degree to 2011.[1](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2014154952.html)
## Stage training and theater career
Dalton's stage credits include *Passion Play*, *Romeo and Juliet*, and *Happy Now?* at Yale Repertory; *Sweet Bird of Youth* and *Demon Dreams* at the Williamstown Theatre Festival; and *Macbeth* and *You Can't Take It With You* at the Chautauqua Theater Company.[3](https://www.nbc.com/found/credits/character/mark-trent) Hallmark's biography adds that he played the lead in *My Favorite Year*.[5](https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/Cooking-with-Love/cast/brett-dalton)
Theatre did not become his livelihood. In the *Seattle Times* interview he described roughly four years in New York, two before Yale and two after, trying to put his stage training to use, and concluded: "The theater didn't decide to take a chance on me. So I'm going to go with where the 'yesses' are, and that's from TV and film."[9](https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/tv/lsquomarvelrsquos-agentsrsquo-actor-says-he-lsquowon-the-lottorsquo-with-his-role/) On *Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.* he said he was thrilled to be doing most of his own stunt work.[9](https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/tv/lsquomarvelrsquos-agentsrsquo-actor-says-he-lsquowon-the-lottorsquo-with-his-role/)
## Breakthrough: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Dalton made his screen debut in the pilot for the Fox medical drama *Nurses* (2007), then earned what Apple TV calls a substantial showcase as [Robert Todd Lincoln](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-todd-lincoln) in *Killing Lincoln* (2013), produced by Ridley and [Tony Scott](https://www.edgepedia.org/tony-scott) for the National Geographic Channel.[8](https://tv.apple.com/us/person/brett-dalton/umc.cpc.5r3cko3jtv8dm8ghtqh6iccke) The same year he was cast as Agent Grant Ward on *Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.* The show's producers said of his audition: "When we saw Brett Dalton's audition we all blurted out the words, 'Cast him.' He landed the humor and emotion of a man who isn't used to playing with others with the right amount of subtlety."[9](https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/tv/lsquomarvelrsquos-agentsrsquo-actor-says-he-lsquowon-the-lottorsquo-with-his-role/) He described landing the part as winning the lottery.[9](https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/tv/lsquomarvelrsquos-agentsrsquo-actor-says-he-lsquowon-the-lottorsquo-with-his-role/)
**The Ward-to-Hive arc.** Ward began as a [S.H.I.E.L.D.](https://www.edgepedia.org/s-h-i-e-l-d) agent and was revealed to be a double agent for Hydra, the terrorist organization from [Marvel Comics](https://www.edgepedia.org/marvel-comics).[8](https://tv.apple.com/us/person/brett-dalton/umc.cpc.5r3cko3jtv8dm8ghtqh6iccke) After Ward's Hydra loyalty drove him toward a takeover bid and, in the end, cost him his life, Dalton stayed on the series, now hosting Hive, a parasite capable of possessing corpses.[4](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/everything-to-know-brett-dalton-found-season-2) The role earned him a Teen Choice Award for Best Male Breakout Star.[6](https://www.departmentofmidnight.com/brett-dalton)
## By the numbers
- **35 episodes** as Mark Trent credited in 2023 on NBC's *Found*.[7](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1181302-brett-dalton?language=en-US)
- **9 episodes** as Lieutenant Jason Pelham in his *Chicago Fire* arc.[4](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/everything-to-know-brett-dalton-found-season-2)
- **2020–2024**: a run of dated voice credits, from Parasite/Rudy Jones in 2020 to Bat Lash and [Captain Atom](https://www.edgepedia.org/captain-atom) in 2024.[7](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1181302-brett-dalton?language=en-US)
## Film and voice work
Dalton's film work includes lead roles in *The Resurrection of Gavin Stone* (directed by [Dallas Jenkins](https://www.edgepedia.org/dallas-jenkins)), *Lost in Florence* (directed by Evan Oppenheimer), and *Beside Still Waters* (directed by [Chris Lowell](https://www.edgepedia.org/chris-lowell)), plus a leading role in *The Tourist* (2015).[6](https://www.departmentofmidnight.com/brett-dalton) • [8](https://tv.apple.com/us/person/brett-dalton/umc.cpc.5r3cko3jtv8dm8ghtqh6iccke)
His first professional voice and motion-capture role was Mike Munroe in *Until Dawn* (2015), an action survival horror game developed by [Supermassive Games](https://www.edgepedia.org/supermassive-games) and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation 4, in which he appeared alongside [Rami Malek](https://www.edgepedia.org/rami-malek).[5](https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/Cooking-with-Love/cast/brett-dalton) • [6](https://www.departmentofmidnight.com/brett-dalton) He provided the voice performance and motion capture for Freyr in *God of War: Ragnarök* (2022) and also appeared in *Destiny 2: The Witch Queen*.[4](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/everything-to-know-brett-dalton-found-season-2) • [6](https://www.departmentofmidnight.com/brett-dalton)
In animation, his voice credits include *Justice League: Warworld*, *Hamster & Gretel*, *Superman: Man of Tomorrow*, *Milo Murphy's Law*, *Robot Chicken*, and *Jake and the Neverland Pirates*.[6](https://www.departmentofmidnight.com/brett-dalton)
## What has changed since 2023
Dalton played Mark Trent on NBC's drama *Found*, opposite [Shanola Hampton](https://www.edgepedia.org/shanola-hampton); the series premiered in 2023.[3](https://www.nbc.com/found/credits/character/mark-trent) • [4](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/everything-to-know-brett-dalton-found-season-2) The series earned award attention from the industry, receiving NAACP Image Award nods in the categories of Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series, a nod from the GLAAD Media Awards in the Outstanding New TV Series category, and a Gracie Award nomination that Hampton won.[4](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/everything-to-know-brett-dalton-found-season-2) His 2024 voice credits include Bat Lash and Captain Atom.[7](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1181302-brett-dalton?language=en-US)
## Reception and awards
Dalton's individual recognition on record is the Teen Choice Award for Best Male Breakout Star for playing Agent Grant Ward.[6](https://www.departmentofmidnight.com/brett-dalton) His game credits carry shared honors: *God of War: Ragnarök* (2023) and *Until Dawn* are both described by his biography as BAFTA Award-winning.[6](https://www.departmentofmidnight.com/brett-dalton) Series-level recognition has come through *Found*'s NAACP Image Award, GLAAD Media Award, and Gracie Award nominations.[4](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/everything-to-know-brett-dalton-found-season-2)
## Personal life
Dalton was previously married to Melissa Trn; he filed for divorce in 2019, and the couple have one child.[4](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/everything-to-know-brett-dalton-found-season-2)
## References
1. [Dalton, Brett, LC Linked Data Service authority record, Library of Congress](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2014154952.html)
2. [Brett Dalton, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3474430/)
3. [Mark Trent: Found character, NBC.com](https://www.nbc.com/found/credits/character/mark-trent)
4. [Everything to Know About Brett Dalton, Star of Found Season 2, NBC Insider](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/everything-to-know-brett-dalton-found-season-2)
5. [Brett Dalton on Cooking with Love, Hallmark Channel](https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/Cooking-with-Love/cast/brett-dalton)
6. [Brett Dalton, The Department of Midnight](https://www.departmentofmidnight.com/brett-dalton)
7. [Brett Dalton, The Movie Database (TMDB)](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1181302-brett-dalton?language=en-US)
8. [Brett Dalton Movies and Shows, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/person/brett-dalton/umc.cpc.5r3cko3jtv8dm8ghtqh6iccke)
9. ['Marvel's Agents' actor says he 'won the Lotto' with his role, The Seattle Times](https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/tv/lsquomarvelrsquos-agentsrsquo-actor-says-he-lsquowon-the-lottorsquo-with-his-role/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames D to Di*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license